The present invention pertains generally to wheel covers and more particularly to a wheel cover that simulates a high profile wheel and tire by covering an inner portion of a conventional tire sidewall.
Previously, many types of wheel covers have been used to provide attractive designs and the currently popular types of wheels. For example, considerable effort has been made to simulate a cast aluminum rim by the use of a shielding disc with a cover that has individual sections such as spokes. Many other wheel covers have the capability of displaying indicia and designs that include symmetrical design arrays as well as decorative designs using irregular shaped voids.
The prior art listed below did not disclose patents that possess any of the novelty of the instant invention, however the following U.S. patents are considered related:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,316,376 discloses a vehicle wheel cover adapted to clip on a wheel rim. The cover includes a disc which has decorative indicia, such as a photograph or artwork, that has a convex lens superposed thereon to magnify the image.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,457,886 discloses a wheel cover that simulates a cast aluminum wheel made of stamped sheet metal. The cover has windows with inward-angled borders simulating depth and a flange on the periphery. A retainer ring is mounted interiorly within the flange and the flange is rolled over to complete the assembly.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,795,035 discloses a wheel cover simulating a cast aluminum wheel with the front face machined on a numerically-controlled lathe such that the cutting tool closely follows the contour to form fine spiral grooves which represent machine markings.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,931,543 discloses a disc wheel cover which forms optical illusions, such as spiral patterns. The wheel cover has fasteners that mate with fasteners located on the outer ring of an existing wheel cover.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,309,027 discloses a removable wheel cover having perforated patterns of circles, rectangles or the like. The perforations may be a single closed pattern or a ring a pattern around the perimeter of the wheel cover.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,409,277 discloses a vehicle wheel cover that replicates the intrinsic design of a vehicle wheel including a central aperture having a set of lug nuts. The wheel cover has spaced fasteners that clip into the peripheral edge of the vehicle wheel
For background purposes and as indicative of the art to which the invention is related reference may be made to the design patent issued to Brintouch U.S. Pat. No. Des. 457,116.
High profile wheels and tires are a popular item in the automotive industry and have been accepted by the public as an fashionable addition to an automobile, since for decades special wheels and tires have been a desirable aftermarket cosmetic improvement. A set of conventional high profile wheels and tires are relatively expensive when compared to standard wheels and tires, thus limiting the market to those who can afford to spend the extra money to update the looks and performance of their vehicle.
Therefore, the primary object of the invention is to simulate a high profile tire by utilizing a wheel cover that obscures a portion of the sidewall of a conventional tire since high performance tires have a low profile and require a larger diameter wheel. The invention further simulates the configuration of the wheel by extending the outer perimeter of the cover.
An important object of the invention overcomes the problem created when the tire bulges. Tires have the propensity to bulge due to weight induced distortion and road hazard impact particularly with radial tires. This phenomenon is overcome by spring-loading the face plate to the base mounting plate, thus permitting the face plate to give way at the point of the tire bulge while retaining contiguous engagement of the tire opposite the bulge.
Another object of the invention is the ease of assembly and removal, as the base mounting plate is attached to the automotive wheel in a conventional manner and the face plate is simply pulled away and a tool such as a screwdriver is wedged between the rim and the mounting plate which is intuitively obvious.
Still another object of the invention is that the wheel cover is secure enough to stay on the wheel during high speeds without shaking or vibrating. It has been found that during dynamic tests the spring-loading feature achieves this goal even when the tire is repeatedly bulges at high frequencies.
A final object of the invention provides an inexpensive alternative to enhance the appearance of an automobile or truck, as existing tires and wheels are used and only the wheel covers are replaced.